A few weeks ago, a representative of Sullivan Productions interviewed me for the Anne of Green Gables blog.
She had found my post about my recent purchase of Anne’s wedding gown pattern from them.
Part I of the interview was published last week, which focused on the historically accurate costumes in the movie.
Earlier today part II of the interview was posted.
I was asked how I would use the movie, Anne: The Continuing Story, in the classroom.
Read all about Becoming History in the classroom!
EPILOGUE
Since the 2011 publication, the Sullivan Entertainment website has been remodeled and the link taken down.
Thus, I’ve published Part II of the interview, below.
The Continuing Story in the Classroom
Not long ago, we featured one our Anne fans and her detailed thoughts about the costumes in Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story.
Laurie, who writes the blog Teacups in the Garden, is actually a home school teacher.
And she believes that The Continuing Story is a great teaching tool based on its historical authenticity and the way it shows multiple perspectives from the people who lived through the First World War.
Here are her thoughts on how she would incorporate the film into her lessons.
As a history teacher, how do you think that The Continuing Story can be incorporated into classroom lessons?
As a teacher, I try to inspire my students to learn history by becoming history.
Choosing a persona
With Anne: The Continuing Story, the students can watch the movie and choose a part that spoke to them the most, and become that character, reinterpreting their story for a presentation.
It could be a main character, a minor character, or one of the extras.
Since everyone has a story, which one do they want to tell, in order to tell the bigger story of WWI?
Research skills would be employed by outlining the character’s known story from the movie.
Then the blanks can be filled in from researching at the library to discover the history, culture, and geography surrounding that particular character.
Which country were they set in?
What was their life like before the war?
What was their involvement in the war?
How did their lives change due to the war, during, and after?
Then they can write a narrative of their story to present to an audience.
Their speech should be enough to grab the audience’s attention, to inspire them to want to learn more about WWI.
The student should have done enough background research on WWI and their country setting, etc to be able to field questions from the audience, answered in the persona of their character.
Creating a Costume
To enhance the experience, the student can design and assemble a costume.
Whether sewing or creatively hunting in vintage stores, thrift shops, or grandma’s attic, this is the portion that kid’s usually fall in love with and excite them about becoming history.
Would there be an appropriate prop to help them tell their story?
Becoming history would also allow them to become part of Anne: The Continuing Story, building ties and connections, helping them to identify with the characters more than before.
In what ways does the film portray the war so accurately?
Anne: The Continuing Story portrays the war quite accurately from America’s initial non-involvement contrasting with Canada’s early intervention.
The depth of emotion of husbands making the difficult decision to tear away from their families to go to war contrast with wives facing the difficulty to support their husbands, knowing the likelihood they may never see each other again.
Accurately portrayed were the reality of the horrors of war that destroyed land, buildings, transportation, and life.
Seeking to find healing of emotion when a soldier loses a limb, when a wife can’t find her husband, when war refugees don’t know whom to trust, are all accurately portrayed.
The poignancy of a wife going to the American and British embassies for help to find her lost husband contrasted with the powerlessness to find a prisoner of war was real.
The fear of the ordeal of air raids, whom to trust when spies lurk about, the hazards of travel to the front not only are grippingly portrayed, but realistic.
Most accurate and new to me to “experience” was the portrayal of anarchy in Germany, hours before the armistice, the hopelessness of finding a prisoner of war, and the resolve of the German officers boarding the train under escort to meet with General Pershing to sign armistice papers, brought a new perspective to the final moments of the war, yet matching other war time accounts I have read.
What do you think sets the costumes in the Anne films apart from other period pieces from that era?
I’ve only seen a few WWI era movies, but they have been very specific to one or two locations and usually set only on the battle zone or far away dealing with fringe effects from the war.
Anne, The Continuing Story covers the war from many interesting facets.
Five countries are featured in setting: America, Canada, England, France, and Germany.
Soldiers from each of those countries, as well as civilians, are featured.
Every social class and age level is featured.
Nearly the entire span of the war, from 1915-1918 is showcased.
I think this range told a bigger story of the war, from different angles and perspectives, making the story more global, as truly, it was.
